M.M. SUNDRESH, J.

1. Nature is the life line of the Mother Universe. Forests and Rivers, inseparable twins complimenting each other, an integral part of nature. They are the heart and soul of the universe. One of the determinative factor to assess the wealth of a country is its natural resource.

2. Man is the most destructive specie of the earth. Through his constant flirtation, he ends up destroying the nature. Ironically it gives the opposite and contrary result though may not be intended. Continued destruction of forests and rivers would bring the doom day nearer, a mockery and folly.

Importance:

3. Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) is a global hotspot of Biodiversity, declared as Tiger Reserve during 1988. Mundanthurai Tiger Sanctuary was declared in 1962, as against Kalakad Wildlife Sanctuary in 1976. It was a huge forest cover with a perennial river to the knowledge of the man kind and continues to be so after a steady supply of battering at its hands.

4. Biosphere Reserve (BR) is a representative part of natural and cultural landscapes extending over large area of terrestrial or coastal/ marine ecosystem or a combination thereof. Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve forms the core zone of Agasthiyarmalai Biosphere Reserve. In the 4th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves, Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve has been declared as World Biosphere Reserve taking note of its cultural and ecological diversity. Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserve under the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Program of UNESCO in the 28th Session of International Coordinating Council held in Lima, Peru from 18th to 19th March, 2016.

5. Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve houses 14 rivers, which ultimately converse into river Tamirabarani and thus catering to the needs of 4 Districts of Tamil Nadu both for drinking and irrigation purposes. This water resource contains rich fish assemblage inclusive of endemic and other species.

6. Steven Green came here with his research assistant Karen Minkowski to study the behaviour of the endangered lion-tailed macaque. His noted observation is as follows:

"Bang in the heart of what is now a Tiger reserve is an important, even indelible part of this landscape - the estate of the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation (BBTC), a smaller mosaic of tea, coffee and cardamom plantations, human settlements, and natural forests."

Based upon his report and study, Kalakad Wild Life Sanctuary was sanctioned.

7. It is declared as a Critical Tiger Habitat under Section 38(V) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 through Government Order in G.O.Ms.No.145 dated 28.12.2007. Tiger is otherwise called "umbrella of species". Tiger protection would mean protection of Forest along with flora and fauna and the rivers flowing through it.

8. Being a Biodiversity Hotspot, Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve harbours around 448 endemic flora apart from mega fauna like Gaur, elephant, tiger, leopard, sambar deer, which do not know the artificial barriers created between forest and estate and thus paving the way for man-animal conflicts.

9. Taking note of the utmost importance to protect the aforesaid area, way back in the year 1857, an English gentle man by name Puckle expressed his anxiety and concern. The following paragraphs would be apposite:

"The prosperity of the river-irrigated section of Tirunelveli extending through five taluks, form the Western Ghats to the sea, is dependent on a continuous flow of water in the rivers that rise on the Western Ghats. Now this continuous flow has notably decreased of late years, and the decrease commenced with the destruction of much of the forest that formerly clothed the ghats and protected the heads of the streams; the rich shola land in the ravines down which the streams descend, attracted coffee planters, who destroyed the magnificent timber and thus let in the wi